
Betsey Stevenson
Professor of Public Policy, Professor of Economics (by courtesy)
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic first caused mass unemployment, followed by a rapid tightening of the labor market and heightened inflation. University of Michigan researchers are tracking which populations and workers experienced the most disruption during this period of upheaval in America’s workforce. Using monthly data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U-M’s Rapid Insights Jobs Report analysis provides key charts and findings that highlight new developments in the labor market.
Employers added 517,000 jobs in January, capping a year marked by record low unemployment and high job growth. The unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, a low last seen in 1969, according to data released Feb. 3 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The labor market analysis is conducted by Betsey Stevenson, economist at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and Benny Docter, senior data and policy analyst at Poverty Solutions. The project is funded by the Robin Hood Foundation, with support from the Ford School and Poverty Solutions.
October Jobs Report: US employers are hiring briskly even in face of rate hikes
Betsey Stevenson discusses the labor market, inflation, and economic recovery on Face the Nation
September Jobs Report: What would the job market look like if there’d been no COVID pandemic?